Six Trait Writing Model By Jodi Feltman Literacy and Technology

Origins of the 6 traits Developed in Beaverton, Oregon member team of teachers (grades 3-12) sought to develop a way of assessing student writing that would also allow them to teach writing effectively Embarked on an extended conversation about “What makes writing work”? They agreed that there are several qualities (traits) that shape the effectiveness of writing After scoring hundreds of student papers and countless discussions, the team came up with a scoring guide (rubric) The model is now used in almost every state in at least one district The popularity has grown as teachers have discovered the Traits are a way to define what they have known for years and a way of understanding what creates successful writing.

What are the 6 Traits? Ideas Organization Voice Word Choice Sentence Fluency Conventions

Ideas All about information The key to any piece of writing Paint word pictures in the readers mind Clarity and details make ideas work Teach ideas by: Model differences between good details and generalities Read aloud pieces with strong details and imagery Show how to eliminate unneeded info Show how to expand and clarify using questions

Organization Internal Structure Putting it all together in a way that makes sense and holds the reader’s attention Good organization is a good map Teaching Organization: Practice writing strong leads (try several) Brainstorm transition words and practice using them Practice effective sequencing Match organizational pattern with the writing Work on strong conclusions (read aloud when possible and practice writing)

Voice Reveals something about the writer Has the power to hold readers attention Individuality, perspective, expressiveness, confidence Informational writing can have a voice Teaching Voice: Read examples of writing with strong voice Demonstrate numerous voices (sad to funny) Help students develop appropriate voice Help students identify audience and write to it Practice different voices through different types of writing assignments Discuss professional writers and what you can glean from them Let students hear your voice by sharing your writing

Word Choice Should be clear, concise and colorful Make each word count Strong verbs give writing energy Overusing adjectives and adverbs will weigh writing down Avoid fluff writing Teaching Word Choice: Make word walls of favorite word and/or phrases Teach comprehension from context Brainstorming different ways to say one thing Retire worn out words and phrases

Sentence Fluency Flow and rhythm of sentences that makes writing enjoyable and easy to read Makes text easy to read aloud Marked by a variety of sentence length and structure Teaching Sentence Fluency: Read aloud examples of good fluency Have students read aloud (their own writing as well) Revising monotonous text together to make it fluent Try different ways of writing one sentence

Conventions Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing, grammar, and usage Also includes creative layout Purpose is to enhance readability Teaching Conventions: Conduct editing lessons where students count and/or correct errors Teach and use copy editor’s symbols Have students practice editing every chance you can (their own work and others) Analyze and discuss as a class example of good and poor conventions Give students and opportunity to match layout with form

How are they used? They can be used individually and collectively Do focused lessons on individual traits and work toward using all traits at once (dream) Each trait has a separate 6 point rubric for assessing that specific trait Work on mastery on one trait at a time and show how it connects to the next trait As students progress in mastery of the traits, they will be able to apply the skills to all disciplines Immerse students in writing and use writers’ language Read aloud often and talk about the different traits found in the reading Teach students to be assessors

Why use the 6 Traits? Provides a common language for talking about writing Gives students consistency in all disciplines Increases motivation and thinking skills Links reading and writing Makes writing and revision manageable Offers support for the writing process Makes revision and editing more helpful to students Provides a foundation for real-world writing Saves time on assessments (grading)

Application Meet SIP goals and unify across the curriculum Use 2 nd Level Response to generate data for Writing Committee Use 2 nd Level Response to teach individual traits and track improvement Use 6 Traits to improve writing in Social Studies on all assignments, not just “writing” assignments Generate awareness of good writing and spark interest in good reading/writing

References Creating Writers 4 th Ed, Spandel, Allyn & Bacon 2005 Creating Writers 3 rd Ed. Spandel, Addison Wesley Longman 2001 Spandel, Vicki. Creating Writers: through 6-trait writing assessment and instruction. New York: Longman 3rd Ed, 2001 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory; Assessment and Evaluation Program. Seeing With New Eyes: A Guidebook on Teaching & Assessing Beginning Writers. Portland, OR: Assessment and Evaluation Program, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 5th Ed Gardiner, Steve, Teaming up to integrate technology into a writing lesson. Learning and Leading with Technology v. 28 no4 (Dec. 2000/Jan. 2001) p Calhum, Ruth Traits for Revision. Instructor (New York, N.Y.: 1999) v. 113 no3 (Oct. 2003) p